Culture Odawara Paper Lanterns Hannah Warren Odawara is famous for Odawara-jochin, a style of chochin (paper lantern) specific to Odawara City. Different to ordina...
Food TenTenYu Ramen Laura Keating Nobuyo and Kaname Ikeda have been cooking ramen for years, and it shows!
Activities Handayama Botanical Garden Kenji Chida Handayama Botanical Garden is a city run park near Okayama University that is blessed with beautiful views and a diversity of...
Culture Okayama University Kenji Chida Okayama University is the prefecture's leader in tertiary education. Regular public events and lectures are held on campus.
Transportation Matsuyama Airport Anonymous Matsuyama Airport, the air gateway to Shikoku and Ehime, has flights to major cities in Japan and Asia
Activities Hiking Mt. Hiwada, Saitama Todd Wojnowski Mt. Hiwada in Saitama is a beautiful place for a day hike. The forested mountain is notable for its two magnificent torii gat...
Shopping Utsunomiya's Hachimanyama Park Stacy Kurokawa Hachimanyama Park is great for cherry blossom viewing (lit up at night), sightseeing, family picnics, azaleas, play or romanc...
Beauty & Spa Gassho Folk Village of Gero Onsen Mandy Bartok Gero Onsen's Gassho Folk Village is like visiting Shirakawa-go in miniature, with thatched roof homes relocated from the well...
Beauty & Spa A Hot Spring Bath at 700 Meters Robert Grey At an altitude of 700 meters, you won't find many hot spring baths in Japan so far above sea level, and few will offer the br...
Activities Gajumaru Banyan Garden, Yakushima Peter Sidell On the rainforest island Yakushima in Japan's Kagoshima prefecture, Gajumaru Banyan Garden is a miniature forest of banyan tr...
